In early 2003, the chain began franchising, opening the doors to rapid expansion. In a year and a half, permits had been sold for over 300 franchised locations.[3] As of 2012, Five Guys has over 1,000 locations open throughout the United States and Canada and over 1,500 locations under development.[3] As of 2012 the company was the fastest-growing fast food chain in the United States, with a 32.8% sales increase from 2010 to 2011.[4]

Contents

History

Five Guys was founded in 1986 by Janie and Jerry Murrell; Jerry and the couple's sons, Jim, Matt, Chad, and Ben, were the original "Five Guys."[5][6] The Murrells had a fifth son, Tyler, two years later. Today, all five sons, the current "Five Guys", are involved: Matt and Jim travel the country visiting stores, Chad oversees training, Ben selects the franchisees, and Tyler runs the bakery.[7] The first Five Guys was in Arlington's Westmont Shopping Center. Buns were baked in the same center by Brenner's Bakery. This location closed, in favor of another in Alexandria, at the intersection of King and North Beauregard Streets, which closed on September 21, 2013.

More followed in Old Town Alexandria and Springfield, Virginia, making five by 2001. Their success encouraged the Murrells to franchise their concept the following year, engaging Fransmart, a franchise sales organization. Former Washington RedskinskickerMark Moseley, who had gone to work for Fransmart after his football career, played a key role in Five Guys' expansion and went on to become the company's director of franchise development after it ended its business relationship with Fransmart.[6][8] In early 2003 the chain began franchising, opening the doors to rapid expansion which caught the attention of national restaurant trade organizations and the national press. The expansion started in Virginia and Maryland, and by the end of 2004, over 300 units were in development through the Northeast. Over the next few years the chain rapidly expanded across the entire United States and into Canada, reaching over 1,000 locations by 2012.[3]

The first location outside North America opened in the United Kingdom in July 2013, in London on Long Acre in Covent Garden, one day before the opening of Shake Shack's first UK outlet just 300m away.[9] The second location was in Reading, Berkshire. The chain now has 27 restaurants open across the UK.[10] Five Guys also has locations in the Middle East and has continued to expand in Europe.

Complimentary roasted in-shell peanuts are offered for on-site consumption at most locations, with signage alerting potential customers who may have a peanut allergy. Peanuts are not permitted to be taken out of the restaurant, out of concern for spreading the allergen.[11]

For dessert, the chain sells milkshakes available with 10 different mix-ins. Customers can mix and match multiple flavors, and even add bacon to the shake.

The chain has something of a cult following[17] and remarkable brand loyalty. Five Guys has been rated one of the most talked-about burger brands online.[8][18]

As Five Guys continues to expand into the West Coast comparisons have been made with In-N-Out Burger, another generally similar fast food chain. Comparing the two chains in 2011, the Los Angeles Times noted that Five Guys' menu items are generally more expensive than In-N-Out's, they lack drive-throughs that In-N-Out is famous for, and are most often found inside shopping malls. The newspaper still conceded that by pricing its products higher, offering bigger burgers and building larger dining rooms, Five Guys could capitalize on the recent trend of mid-level places that offer more expensive products than fast food but cheaper than fancy restaurants.[19]

In 2011, Five Guys was ranked first in "Fast Food - Large Chains" and "Best Burger" in Zagat's annual Fast Food Survey.[21]

Criticism

Men's Health magazine stated on their web site that Five Guys' meals are generally considered unhealthy.[22] They state that a standard double patty burger, for example, contains 700 calories and 20 grams of saturated fat.[22]Men's Health also rated Five Guys' french fries as some of the most unhealthy food in America, saying that a standard large order of fries contains almost 1,500 calories.[23] The Center for Science in the Public Interest placed Five Guys' bacon cheeseburger, which it claims contains 920 calories, among its 2010 list of most unhealthy meals available at U.S. chain restaurants.[24] In 2015, the Five Guys site states that a bacon cheeseburger contains 930 calories and a large order of fries contains 1,314 calories.[25] Time Magazine added an order of Five Guys' french fries, which contains 1,464 calories to their list of "Top 10 Worst Fast Food Meals."[26]